Yeshua

     What does Hanukkah have to do with Yeshua (Jesus)?  Perhaps nothing, but Yeshua did have something to do with Hanukkah.  He used the opportunity of Hanukkah to remind his Jewish people of the importance of dedication.  After all, the name Hanukkah comes from the Hebrew root word meaning ‘to dedicate.’

     In Chapter 10 of the Gospel of John (vs. 22-39) we see Jesus visiting the temple during the Feast of Dedication (v.22).  Some people claim this to be during Sukkoth (the Feast of Tabernacles) because Solomon dedicated the temple to God during that feast, but this does not seem likely for the following reasons.

1.      As stated before, Hanukkah’s name means ‘dedication.’

2.      Verse 22 points out that the season is winter.  While Hanukkah occurs during winter, Sukkoth is an autumn festival.

3.      The message that Yeshua offers is more in keeping with Hanukkah than with Sukkoth.

     At that time, Yeshua was asked to say whether he was the Messiah.  He responded in this way:

“I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. 

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

I and the Father are one.”

            (John 10:25-30)

     The sheep that are his flock, are those who hear his voice – who believe in him.  In the same way that Judah Maccabee and his followers were dedicated to their God, those who recognize Messiah Yeshua are likewise dedicated to God the Father.

     Moreover, as God was dedicated to the Israelites and delivered them from the hands of Antiochus IV, so is He dedicated to those who have dedicated themselves to Messiah Yeshua – no body can snatch them out of the Messiah’s hands or the Father’s hands.

     Then he makes the remarkable statement, “I and the Father are one.”  Those who say that Yeshua never claimed to be God need to come to grips with this statement.  In these verses he equates himself with God unequivocally.

     If his statement here is not enough to convince us of that affirmation, the reaction of the crowd certainly should be:

“The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.

Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?”

The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”

     The Israelites in Yeshua’s day, certainly knew what he was saying.  And they reacted strongly because they didn’t believe him, despite all the evidence that pointed to Yeshua as the Messiah.  But there were still many Jews in his day who did believe.  Among them were scholars and shepherds, rich and poor, leaders and followers - just as their are today (well, maybe not so many shepherds).

     Hanukkah is a Festival of Dedication.  We Jews who are believers in Yeshua (Jesus) celebrate this festival as a reminder of God’s dedication in the time of Judah Maccabee, and as a time to remember the dedication of God to all those who will dedicate themselves to him and follow him according to his standards.

     Messiah Yeshua is the standard by which we are called to dedicate our life to God.  When we put our faith in him as our Saviour and as our Lord we enter into a perfect life of dedication: us to Him, and Him to us.

     Hanukkah is also a Festival of Lights, and when we light the Menorah we remember what Yeshua said to his Jewish people: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8:12)” 

     Why don’t you check out Yeshua’s claims for yourself.  Read the Tanakh - the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament).  Read the Brit Hadashah (the New Testament) as well.  Then ask God to show you his truth.  If you don’t have a bible, contact us.  We’d be happy to send you one.

     If you want, give us a call and we’ll talk!  Call 647-439-2936 and ask for Daniel.  Or email us at info@newcovenantforum.org.  Or check out our website at www.newcovenantforum.org.

     You don’t have to agree with us.  But, at least, make your decision from an informed perspective.

Given that our entire faith rests in the person of Yeshua (Jesus), that He was indeed the long-awaited Messiah of Israel and the Saviour of the world, it is critical that evidence be found for this claim in the Scriptures.
 
Following His death and resurrection, the New Covenant Scriptures (New Testament) record the following conversation that Yeshua had with His disciples.

“These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”
 
And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ [Messiah] to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:44-49 New King James Version [NKJV]).

Luke, one the twelve disciples of Yeshua, records Yeshua’s assertion that the Jewish Scriptures (i.e. Law of Moses, Prophets, Psalms) repeatedly spoke of the coming of Messiah in terms of His life, death, and resurrection. Not only do the Jewish Scriptures speak of this suffering Messiah, Yeshua further declared that “repentance and remission of sins” came through Him, and that this message was to be proclaimed throughout the entire world, beginning in Jerusalem.
 
Luke’s assertion that Yeshua “opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures” is further indication of the disciple’s firm belief that Yeshua was the very Son of God, the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world.
 
Another of Yeshua’s disciples, John, also recorded the life and ministry of the Messiah. He makes explicit statements regarding the person and character of Yeshua as he describes the ministry of John the Baptist, who came preaching a message of repentance, warning Israel to prepare for the coming of her Messiah.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man who comes into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
 
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. (John 1:1-18 NKJV).

There can be no doubt that John believed Yeshua was the Messiah, a belief which included his conviction that Yeshua was the incarnate God Himself. His commitment to Yeshua’s deity concurs with the prophet Isaiah who had prophesied the coming of Messiah some 700 years earlier.

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6-7 NKJV).

Early in Yeshua’s ministry, as recorded by John, we see evidence that others recognized the messianic credentials of Yeshua. Here’s how John records it:

…Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
 
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
 
Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” [John 1:43-51 NKJV]

Numerous citations from the New Covenant Scriptures demonstrate both Yeshua’s claim and the disciples’ belief that he was indeed Israel’s long-awaited Messiah.

We welcome your comments and questions about our belief that Yeshua (Jesus) is Israel’s long-awaited Messiah, the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of all who repent and trust in Him as Lord and Savior.

“Hello. Is this David Daniels?” the voice on the other end of the line asked.

“Yes, this is David Daniels,” I replied.

“Your organization left some literature in my mailbox today.  Are you Jewish?”

“No, Sir”, I said. “I’m not Jewish.”

“Oh”, he responded, and after a slight hesitation went on to say, “Well, your envelope says ‘A Gift For You,’ but it’s not a gift, it’s poison!” his voice rising in agitation. It was obvious my caller was unhappy with the material we left at his house.

“Sir, the gift we are offering is a Bible, and I don’t think you really believe the Bible is poison.”

“It is poison!” he retorted. “I don’t want you to leave anymore literature at my house. Give your ‘gift’ to the Muslims and Christians. They need it more than we do. Do you remember the 6,000,000 Jews who were annihilated at the hands of Christians?”

“Yes, Sir, I am aware of the holocaust, and it is a very tragic point in history. Our desire is to get the Word of God into people’s hands, but it is not our intention to irritate anyone. If you don’t want to receive anymore literature, just give me your name and address. We keep a list of those who do not want to receive our literature, and when our workers go through that neighbourhood in the future, they avoid leaving material at those homes.”

“I don’t want to give you my name and address.”

“Sir, unless I know your address, I can’t ensure that our staff won’t leave literature at your house in the future.”

“I live on ______ Ave.”

“Where on ______?” I asked.

“I don’t want to tell you. All of us on this street feel the same way.”

“Well, you are the only person who has phoned us from your street, so we would not deprive others of the opportunity to hear our message unless they personally requested it. So, without your address, sooner or later our workers will leave material at your home again.”

“Stay out of our neighborhood!” he warned, the agitation in his voice rising. “We don’t want your poison. If you come back, you’d better watch out.”

“Sir, that sounds like a threat,” I said. “We don’t respond to threats, and one day we will be back on your street. If you give me your house number, I’ll ensure that our people don’t leave anything there in the future.”

“I don’t want your poison,” he blurted, “and I am not going to give you my address.  Good-bye!” and he hung up the phone.

To my knowledge, no one at New Covenant House has ever met this man. We do not know his name or address, but we do know that he is Jewish, and that he lives in an area with many Orthodox families, many of whom attend a Chabad synagogue. Sooner or later, we will be on his street again, seeking a hearing for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Perhaps God will soften his heart to the call of Messiah Jesus.

Sharing the gospel with those who do not want it is never easy, but that is what we are called to do. Jesus told his followers to “make disciples of all the nations (peoples), baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…(Matthew 28:19-20). Our commission is not to stay among those who welcome our message, but to go throughout the entire world, calling upon all to repent of sin and to trust in Jesus alone for salvation. That includes taking the gospel to Jewish communities.

My caller may have labeled our literature poison, but in reality is was the gospel contained in the Word of God – the only antidote to the true poison of thinking one can achieve right standing with God apart from faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We do not enjoy rejection, and we often find ourselves discouraged with the seemingly meager response to our evangelistic work. But our hope rests in the God who declares that there is a “remnant according to the election of grace” (Romans 11:5) within the Jewish community. As God’s people stand with us in prayer and financial support, we will continue to proclaim Jesus as Messiah and Saviour to all who will believe.

In his discussion about the futility of trying to gain merit with God through law-keeping, the Apostle Paul (Rabbi Shaul) wrote that it is through Messiah Yeshua that the “blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles” (Galatians 3:14).
 
Later in this same chapter of Galatians [v.28] Paul says that there is “neither Jew nor Greek (Gentile), there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Messiah Yeshua). And if you are Christ’s (Messiah’s), then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise”

It seems obvious that Paul is not negating ethnic or gender realities - and in the context of his time, he also acknowledges the fact that slavery was a functioning institution. His point was simply that these categories are not significant in terms of one’s standing before God. All are lost in sin, and all need salvation which is available through Messiah Jesus alone.

When Paul wrote to the believers in ancient Ephesus he said that it was always God’s plan to bring both Jew and Gentile together as one. “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two…” (Ephesians 2:13-15).

Jew and Gentile alike stand equal before God, and all alike must come to God in the same way - through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the long-promised Messiah of Israel and the Savior of all who believe in him.

We’d love to discuss this further. Leave and comment and begin the conversation.

According to the Bible, Adam & Eve, the human father and mother of all humanity, lived in a perfect world - the Garden of Eden. Placed in this perfect environment by Almighty God Himself, history’s first man and woman had complete freedom to enjoy the fruit of this paradise with but one exception. The Scriptures tell us that God clearly prohibited Adam and Eve from eating the fruit of one tree in the center of this garden - a tree Scripture describes as “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” [Genesis 2:9].*

Very soon in the biblical story, we find the evil one coming to Eve and tempting her to disobey God’s clear command to avoid eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild beasts that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say: You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?” The woman replied to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the other trees of the garden. It is only about fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said: ‘You shall not eat of it or touch it, lest you die.’” And the serpent said to the woman, “You are not going to die, but God knows that as soon as you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like divine beings who know good and bad.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for eating and a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable as a source of wisdom, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they perceived that they were naked; and they sewed together fig leaves and made themselves loincloths.

They heard the sound of the LORD God moving about in the garden at the breezy time of day; and the man and his wife hid from the LORD God among the tree of the garden. The LORD God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” He replied, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” Then He asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat of the tree from which I had forbidden you to eat?” [Genesis 3:1-11]

In a moment of disobedience everything changed. A perfect relationship with the Creator was broken, a pristine world was lost, and the innocence of human nature was utterly destroyed. The evidence that everything had changed is seen in the response of Adam and Eve to God’s presence: “the man and his wife hid from the LORD God…” Centuries later, when writing to followers of Jesus in Rome, the Apostle Paul conveyed the utter ruin brought about by this willful act of rebellion against God’s clear directive:

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned… [Romans 5:12 New King James Version].

The Apostle states that the sin of our first parents plunged the entire human race into sin. When they sinned, they corrupted their human nature, and because of that all their offspring are born with fallen natures that must be redeemed and regenerated.

Returning to our Genesis 3 text, we discover that Adam, when confronted by God, blames their failure to obey God’s directive on Eve: “The woman you put at my side - she gave me of the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12), his wife. Eve in turn, casts blame on the serpent - on the devil himself: “The serpent duped me, and I ate” [Genesis 3:13].

A just, holy God must be true to His character and word. He had warned Adam and Eve of the consequences of disobedience, and now He must act. Their disobedience resulted in their expulsion from the Garden, and consigned them to a life of battling with sinful tendencies. However, even in his words of judgment, God demonstrates his mercy and grace.

Addressing the serpent directly, God says:

Because you have done this, accursed are you beyond all beasts of the field; upon your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will pound your head, and you will bite his heel [Genesis 3:14-15 Tanach: The Stone Edition, Mesorah Publications, Ltd., 1996 - emphasis mine].

Did you catch the singular pronouns in the final sentence of that biblical quote? When God says there will be enmity between the serpent’s seed and the woman’s seed, He points to an ultimate showdown between two individuals. The serpent, a representation of Satan, will bite the heel of the one who will pound the head of the serpent.

I believe this is the first biblical reference to the redeemer who comes to atone for the sins of all who will accept him. This is none other than promised Messiah of Israel and Saviour of the World - Yeshua haMashiach - Jesus the Messiah.

When Jesus came to earth, He came to fulfill Torah. He is the only person who has ever been completely Torah observant. Having fulfilled the Law’s demands, Jesus voluntarily gave his life to make atonement for the sins of all who will repent and place their trust in Him. In dying on that accursed tree, Jesus in fact defeated Satan, and made full and complete atonement available to all who will believe.

In future posts, I hope to explore this salvation more deeply. In the meantime, I welcome your comments and questions. New Covenant Forum actively encourages conversation about Jesus. Whether by commenting on this post, or by emailing directly, I hope you will join the conversation.
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*Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from the Tanakh, Jewish Publication Society, 1985, 1999 - The Jewish Study Bible, Oxford University Press. 2004.